JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

[PowerChord]

Hi,

I swap bridge pickup in my ltd 103fm to a JB, the sound now fades out like pick up is overloaded or a ground issue. I wired as the directions indicate, however, the original pickup on the tone pot was wired as capacitor on 1 and wire from volume on 2, but SD directions indicate the reverse as I did, capacitor on 2 wire from volume on 1. I know I can just reverse the wiring and try again, but rather understand before I try this, and pickup config is HSS and 5 way selector. Not sure if the issue could be somewhere else, but will check if someone can suggest where to look.

Thanks
-PowerChord

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Fades out slowly? Or very fast? Does it go completely to no sound? Or just lose some volume?

It doesn't sound like anything that could be caused by a passive guitar circuit. If it were active, a battery could be dying. But what you have shouldn't exhibit 'fading out'.

 

[PowerChord]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Sounds like someone turns down the volume very low i have to dime the volume knob but still weak, and if i wait a minute the volume comes back. Strange enough, maybe better described as a gate that is turning on and off. Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Only 2 times I've experienced something like that. First time was a pot got fried by having the solder iron on it too long, and possibly some solder ran down the lug and into the works inside. Second time was a cold solder joint on the lug and just retouching it while pushing the wire harder against the lug so there was good wire-to-lug contact brought it to life.

 

[PowerChord]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Very good points and places to check. Thanks again, very helpful and courteous!

-PowerChord

 

[spleenharvester]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Speaking as someone who just totally sucks at soldering: check all of your solder joints. I've had this quite a few times and it's just been a dodgy joint or solder debris shorting lugs out every time.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Check solder joints and make sure you don't have any wires touching anything that they aren't supposed to be soldered to. Even a single strand of your wire could be touching another contact/lug/wire and give you those results.

 

[Mincer]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Great suggestions. Have a spare pot handy if re-soldering doesn't fix the problem.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

I got that straight from the factory in one of my Les Pauls. I just deal with it, as it only happens when I play very softly on the bridge pickup (which I hardly do). But if it is a serious issue, I'd suggest just resoldiering ever thing. As others have said before, it is most likely a cold joint.

 

[thrill74]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Sounds like the pot. Same thing on my volume pot at different intervals in the travel. Depending on how tight or loose the mounting nut was seemed to make or break the contact. Internally in the pot. Check your solder joints and try loosening your pots a bit then retighten.

 

[zosozep7]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Hi,

I swap bridge pickup in my ltd 103fm to a JB, the sound now fades out like pick up is overloaded or a ground issue. I wired as the directions indicate, however, the original pickup on the tone pot was wired as capacitor on 1 and wire from volume on 2, but SD directions indicate the reverse as I did, capacitor on 2 wire from volume on 1. I know I can just reverse the wiring and try again, but rather understand before I try this, and pickup config is HSS and 5 way selector. Not sure if the issue could be somewhere else, but will check if someone can suggest where to look.

Thanks
-PowerChord

Hello! After reading your post, i have the exact same problem with my neck pup. The pickup is dead or going dead. I know this because of the research ive done. Also, i have a solderless harness system which allows me to swap out pickups quickly. The pup going bad is a Mare JW set. I swapped out that pup with a Mare Josie Vaughn neck and it works perfectly. Also, ive tested the bad pup with a resistance tester and sometimes it read 6,26 and sometimes it doesnt. Really sucks because i love that Junior Watson neck pup!! Hope this helps!

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: JB bridge wiring guitar sound fades out at times

Any metal-on-metal contact point could be the problem, from the wiper inside the pot not making good contact to the solder joints to the jack prongs flexing when you move the guitar to a bad cable or bad solder joint in the plug.

However, in the case of the solderless wiring harness, I'd check the contact in the harness plugs themselves, as well as the pickup wires. Could be weak connections in the connectors, especially if they're the 4 or 5-slot PC molex style (can't tell you how many of those I've pulled out of their sockets trying to unplug a hard drive).